Police Sergeant Owen Messenger has advised motorists to reverse into supermarket car park spaces, explaining that this approach makes it "far easier" to drive out safely. In a TikTok video, the officer highlighted the dangers of reversing out of a bay into traffic and pedestrians.
Why reversing in is safer
Sergeant Messenger told viewers: "When you’re trying to get out, if you're nosed in and you’re reversing out into traffic it’s very difficult to see. You can’t see the traffic that’s coming, you can’t see the people walking around. Supermarket car parks are busy places." He added: "It’s far easier to drive forwards out of the parking space than to reverse out of it."
The officer acknowledged the trade-off drivers face, saying: "You’ve got to balance out the convenience of getting your shopping in the boot alongside what's safer and what’s easier for driving your car. When we come out we can see everything that is going on around us and there is far less chance of running anyone over."
Shoppers respond with mixed views
The advice sparked debate among shoppers. One replied: "The supermarket is the one place where it doesn’t make sense to back into a space, because you’re making getting your shopping in the boot ten times harder." A second suggested: "Supermarkets should start putting angled parking spaces, much easier to park in and safer to reverse out of." A third agreed with the officer, saying: "Agree 100%, I will always reverse into parking bays, p***** me off when people don't do this in parking bays or driveways."
RAC guidance on parent and child bays
The RAC also provided guidance on parent and child parking bays, which are common in private car parks, particularly at supermarkets. "The dedicated spaces will usually display an image of an adult and child on the floor or a nearby signpost. Sometimes both are used," the organisation said.
Regarding misuse of these bays, the RAC advised: "In the frustrating event that you spot someone misusing a parent and child bay, it’s best to talk to a store manager. Approaching somebody using a dedicated bay without young passengers could lead to a hostile situation, so try not to get carried away by the injustice of it all."
